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Just two days after the Sunday night television premiere of Treme, David Simon's new ode to New Orleans, HBO has ordered a second season of the series, the cable network said Tuesday. The speedy renewal was quick, even for Simon, whose previous HBO series, The Wire, was hailed by critics as one of the best shows in TV history.

Treme, (pronounced "treh-MAY"), which stars John Goodman, Melissa Leo, Wendell Pierce, and Steve Zahn -- not to mention numerous locals -- follows the lives of New Orleanians in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent flooding of the city. (Read a DailyFinance primer on the show.)

In making the announcement, HBO lavished praise on the series and its creators.

"I can't think of another show that is more emblematic of what we aspire to be as a network than Treme," Michael Lombardo, president of HBO Programming, said in a statement. "In the tradition of 'The Wire,' David Simon and Eric Overmeyer have embarked on an exploration of the soul of one of the world's most unique cities through the lives of an exquisitely crafted cast of characters."

Treme attracted 1.4 million viewers for its first episode, The Associated Pressreported. Production on the second season will begin in New Orleans this fall, HBO said.